Cerron Cade, the former state budget director, faced problems with his hiring as Wilmington Mayor John Carney’s chief of staff after he was arrested last month for shoplifting. He settled his criminal case in court on Wednesday.
Cade, 41, pleaded guilty to taking items from the Home Depot in Wilmington. He was given probation instead of a harsher sentence in Delaware’s Court of Common Pleas.
He was placed on probation for a year, required to get a mental health evaluation and any needed care, and had to pay Home Depot $394.32 for the stolen items. When he finishes that term, the other five shoplifting charges will be dismissed. The thefts happened throughout 3 and a half months and ended in October.
Attorney General Kathy Jennings’ office and Cade’s lawyer, Thomas Foley, say that this type of deal is normal for first-time criminals facing minor misdemeanor charges. If Cade meets the requirements of the plea deal, there will be no judgment on his record, and he can apply to have it removed, Foley said.
After the 20-minute plea hearing, Cade said he had no reaction.
When Cade was arrested, Carney, the governor at that time, decided to suspend him with pay. Carney, elected mayor of Delaware’s biggest city in November, has already appointed Cade as chief of staff. Cade will oversee all city departments, including the police.
But after the arrest of his “trusted adviser,’’ who was also state labor secretary during Carney’s eight years as governor, Carney said he would wait “until the matter is resolved’’ to decide whether to have Cade take the Wilmington post.
Mayor’s spokesman John Rago said Cade will take the chief of staff job once he meets the court’s standards. The job pays $181,000 a year.
Rago also released a message from Carney, who started his job on January 7.
“Cerron has been a trusted coworker for over 10 years. I have depended on his great knowledge of government and his management skills.” I’m excited for Cerron to join me in the new city government.
“Trust and honesty are very important in our jobs as public servants.” Cerron has admitted his mistakes and is taking responsibility for them. I completely trust him as we work together to manage the city government.
Police said Cade did ‘skip screening’ six times.
State police said in court papers that Cade, who earned $164,000 as a budget director, used a method called “skip scanning” at Home Depot’s self-checkout registers. This means Cade did not scan at least one thing during each of the six incidents mentioned in the arrest warrant. Cade stole things for gardening, the patio, and other home purposes.
One time, Cade was seen putting a $75 animal cage trap, which he is accused of stealing, inside a planter he had purchased, according to the arrest warrant.
One time, he took a $11 battery-operated candle and a $40 patio lantern, stealing both, according to the order.
Cade, who is 6 feet 6 inches tall, often drove his gray 2019 Chevrolet Traverse SUV to the shop on Miller Road, according to the warrant. The store’s security cameras recorded his arrival, departure, and moves inside the large Home Depot, according to the warrant.
The police charged him with six counts of shoplifting, each involving amounts under $1,500. This is a Class A misdemeanor, which can lead to a year in jail and fines up to $2,300. Usually, when someone is convicted of these minor offenses, they receive a light probation according to the state’s rules for punishment.
“I’m sorry to see you and a bit disappointed, to be honest.”
The case was decided by Judge Carl Danberg, who used to be the state’s attorney general and head of jails.
Danberg told the courtroom, where other suspects were waiting for their hearings, that he knows Cade casually from working in state government. He then asked Foley and prosecutor Marc Petrucci if they thought it would be a problem for him to handle the case. Both lawyers said they didn’t have any complaints, so Danberg continued with the plea hearing.
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